Melancholia
by Sayloni
Summary: Having Suzumiya Haruhi in his life was chaotic enough, but now that things are changing, and with them most of his SOS relations, Kyon is rendered abysmally helpless. A quiet evening discussing "God" with that annoying Esper wasn't supposed to unravel this Melancholia... "And by the time you do realize, I'm afraid it'd be too late." Could any day be less daunting? Itsuki x Kyon
1. Monotony?

Author's Note :

Konichiwa, everybody.

Yes, Sayloni is not dead. Anyone surprised? (frankly, she herself is o_O)

Anyway, since Sayloni's first ever hand at fanfiction was such a success, she has overcome her hesitation and decided to post this multi-chaptered one that once again a) contains Kyon and Koizumi, and b) is a yaoi. Wow, nobody's surprised yet again?

Someone should really help her in expanding this pairing's fanbase y'know?

Also, all those who have already gone through the mind-boggling and tedious task of reading her previous work concerning the alike coupling, namely "Entangled", which was basically a collection of drabbles springing to life out of sheer boredom, Sayloni is grateful to you in millennias. There's still some chapters left in that one, so don't lose hope! Because Sayloni hasn't either…

And those who have not yet laid their eyes on it, do not worry, for that piece has little to do with this fic! (although Sayloni would appreciate the feat of you trying it out -_- In any case, please do.)

Warning : This fic contains boy x boy, not explicit, but she won't advice people with no taste in this genre, or those who have probably never heard about it to go on reading. And, oh! Characters might appear a tad bit OOC, but she'll definitely try to work on them.

Disclaimer : Sayloni doesn't own Haruhi or her eccentric SOS Brigade, or the series would have turned out even more messed up. All rights go to Tanigawa-Sensei and his amazing illustrator, Noizi Ito-sama, and a bunch of other mind-blowing people for the light novel, manga, anime, music, sound tracks, video games and movie productions. Phew….-_- quite a lot of merchandise, eh? Also, she does not own Wikipedia. Don't ask, you'll realize it later.

Okay, that's all for now, so Sayloni'll shut up. Proceed!

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…_**Monotony?**_

If Kyon had known that the annoying Esper would be waiting right outside his place, he would've made a deliberate U-turn and chased after Taniguchi to join his hunt for A Grade girls.

The brunette was leaning against the front porch, hands folded across his white button-down. Beside him, a small, hyperactive girl rattled on about why feeding a sick Shami was so fun and how her big-headed brother always fell out of his bed whenever the cell phone rang. Koizumi urged her on with his angels of plastic smiles.

Kyon couldn't decide who he hated less.

As he climbed off of his bike and propped it against the wall, Koizumi noticed him. Abruptly breaking out of the moronic conversation he'd been indulged into, he mustered a hearty wave in the dark-haired boy's direction.

"Ah, Kyon! I've been waiting for your arrival." He smiled diligently.

Not even a second had passed since this Esper boy had noticed him and already the façade was stabbing him in the face. Kyon sent him a dark look.

He didn't mind bumping into the brunette every once in a while, or beating him in their routine rounds of Othello. Even the outrageous remarks he paid were bearable. But having him in his lawn was another matter altogether. It never meant good news.

Especially when he was smiling… which was almost every second.

"What're you doing here?" He climbed the stairs towards the two of them warily.

A further plastic smile greeted him. "I came for a visit, of course," The Esper said, unperturbed by the hostility as he wiggled his arms around, and Kyon found the unnecessary movements quite annoying. "…Talks and such. Don't friends do that once in a while?"

After being surrounded by Aliens, Espers and Time-travelers, you'd think that Kyon would feel special. After being told that he was God's chosen _one_, you'd think that Kyon would feel ecstatic. After saving the world countless times, you'd think that Kyon would be happily acknowledging the presence of that one Esper smiling down at him.

Instead, he frowned.

"Kyon-kun is such a no-show, eh Koizumi-kun?" The little brat muttered, tugging at the brunette's sleeve to get his attention.

Koizumi sent her a prince-charming smile.

Something in Kyon's stomach stirred. He shot the Esper a disapproving look. "Don't tell me you flirt with little girls, too," he muttered and turned to his sister, steering her squirming frame away and into the house roughly. "Go on. What did I tell you about keeping your distance from strangers?"

The girl protested that Koizumi wasn't a stranger to her, and that they'd enjoyed playing cards and such together many a times, but Kyon disregarded the perfectly logical whining and thrust her inside, slamming the door shut. Small hands banged on the wood. Her strangled shrieks pierced the teen's ears.

It seemed she had finally found someone who didn't zone her ramblings out, and had no intention of reverting back to the unresponsive Kyon.

"Kyon-kun! I'm going to flush your cell-phone down if you don't let me out!"

"Good luck with that," Kyon retaliated, unmoved, "because it's in my back pocket."

He turned around, hands still fixed on the door knob to keep the she-devil from bursting out, and his eyes locked with Koizumi's amused ones.

"I suppose I should've abducted her while you were still gone."

Kyon's eye twitched.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Of course."

He stared at the moronic smile plastered onto the Esper's face, resisting the urge to break that rebelliously handsome jaw.

Instead he concentrated on the door shuddering under his fingers, making sure to bar any chance of retribution from the little horror banging on its wood from the other side. Eventually, the frustrated screams subsided to meek grumbles, and at last ceased.

Seriously, Kyon thought and shook his head.

After an additional surveillance of five seconds, he decided that his sister had given up.

"So," The teen muttered, annoyance written all over his face as he dragged himself over to where the other boy stood, "Lame excuses aside, what _are_ you doing here again?"

"Ever practical, I observe," Koizumi beamed. Though his frame seemed to be heavily riddled with mental fatigue, he carried himself as if it was just another Esper-free day.

Kyon had come to hate that part of him.

He frowned. "It better be something important."

"…I'm afraid we might have a situation at hand."

Koizumi's smiling facade didn't falter, as if he were just blathering about some RPG quest, but there was a dimness in his eyes that appeared whenever the gray world with those strange cerulean things popped out of nowhere. He motioned for the wary teen to follow him, strolling out of Kyon's homely premises indolently.

A walk, as he'd called it on innumerable occasions before.

Kyon didn't move. "Closed spaces?" He let the question hang in the evening air.

Koizumi, apologetically, smiled over his shoulder at him, his bangs reflecting the red of the sun. His slim fingers urged the other to keep up with him.

The teen found his mind raising all the emergency alarms he thought were put to rest when Suzumiya Haruhi had jumped into his peaceful existence. It was miraculous, really, that he still grew anxious over these matters. Haruhi bored, world destroyed. Haruhi angry, world destroyed. It was like a custom.

As he fell in step with the smiling boy, the hint of an ache gnawed at the back of his head.

Every time the Esper had come to him exclaiming they had a situation, the teen had found the eccentric Enigma of that odd girl demanding more than half of his waking time. And what more, Kyon seemed to be the only solution to her every whimsical charades.

"…Haruhi again, huh?"

"As always, I'd be deceitful to contradict that," Koizumi replied, a hand flicking at the russet bangs in his feminine way that made, oddly enough, female heads turn everywhere. "Amusing though, it seems that is all we ever talk about …How disconcerting."

Kyon stared ahead, appearing thoroughly bored.

"Just get on with it."

"I wish you wouldn't discount me so ingenuously… and so often."

If there was something the teen had learned after gritting his teeth through the numerous hours of philosophical Esper ramblings, it was that Koizumi enjoyed being ridiculously over-dramatic.

"…Yeah, right."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and Kyon found himself leaning against the familiarity of the bridge. He looked around, preoccupied, but there was not a soul in view, all thanks to the surprisingly chilly weather no doubt, and so he rested his eyes on the brunette beside him.

Koizumi propped his elbows on the fence, palms cupping his smiling face as he stared at the city stretching below them.

It had been nearly two months since he'd seen that posture; the time when the Esper had babbled about how Kyon's sudden erratic behavior was unhinging Haruhi into creating closed spaces, to which, the teen had grumbled about teaching a tailor to sew. Wow, Kyon thought, had it really been that long with no Haruhi induced weirdness already?

He let his eyes wander around. The scratches on the boy's fingers had disappeared with time, but an angry scar still glared from under his spotless cuff. Kyon found himself cringing under its nonexistent scrutiny.

"I believe your memory supplies you with what Suzumiya-san said earlier today?"

Kyon tilted his head backwards, tracing the street-lights upside down as he searched his brain for the exact moment the Esper was referring to. "…about that stupid scheme to embarrass the rest of us again? Yeah, pretty much."

Koizumi's eyes flickered sideways to regard him.

"Yes," he replied, turning to the scenery again, as if it was the most interesting of the things that existed in this world. "Suzumiya-san wishes to popularize the SOS Brigade. She seems to be …preying on innocent people to drag them into par with the rest of us. She hasn't done that in quite some time." Another smile perched upon full lips. "Why do you think it is happening now?"

"Well, she's Haruhi."

"She feels that things have become extremely uneventful around here," the brunette went on, ignoring the guttural sigh that Kyon forced out along with a slumping of shoulders.

"Typical."

"Cannot help but jump to our guards, can we?" He said pleasantly, as if he wasn't just talking about the possible end of the World.

"Can't be helped."

Koizumi chuckled, waving a hand. "'Boredom', Kyon, in terms of its central psychological processes, has been defined as an unpleasant, transient affective state in which the individual feels a pervasive lack of interest and difficulty in concentrating on the current activity."

"What?"

The amused raise of eyebrows the Esper offered him made Kyon feel like a thick-headed kid.

"In simple words, my friend, 'Boredom' is an emotional state experienced when an individual is left without anything in particular to do, and not interested in their surroundings."

Kyon let out an annoyed growl from the back of his throat, incredulous. "I know what 'boredom' means, Koizumi. Why am I being told some Wikipedia definition now of all times?"

"My apologies, Kyon, but it is necessary to lay out the basics before I move on to the actual cause behind this visit. I'll appreciate the patience on your part."

If punching the irritating guy would've achieved anything, Kyon would have gone all hands and legs. But of course there was no way Koizumi Itsuki would ever, _ever_ come straight to the point. Not in this God forsaken, surreal world he suddenly found himself plunged into. He had to take Kyon on a merry-go-round before spilling his beans. Part of the teen suspected he did it on purpose.

A vein popped on his temple and Kyon massaged it with a weak hand.

"Alright, go on. You have my attention."

"Of course," Koizumi smiled, not sounding the least bit apologetic and rambled on. "There are three types of boredom, all of which involve problems of engagement of attention." He started counting them on his fingers. "These include times when we are prevented from engaging in some _wanted_ activity, times when we are forced to engage in some _unwanted_ activity, or those when we are simply unable, for no apparent reason, to maintain engagement in _any _activity."

"…okay?"

"What I'm trying to say is that it is a condition characterized by the perception of one's environment as dull, tedious, and lacking in stimulation," Koizumi clarified, holding up an outstretched palm as if literally offering the explanation to Kyon. "It is natural for anyone to pine for something or someone new, more so when a person such as Suzumiya-san is concerned."

Kyon scratched his chin. "So, you mean that Haruhi needs a little change of scenery and routine or she'd do something crazy that'd reach upto the galactic scale?"

"I'm afraid so."

"…Again?"

"In uncomplicated words, yes."

"Couldn't you have used this simpler approach, then?"

The brunette put a finger to his lips, curling it unconsciously. "I suppose I could have," he smiled.

If you want to gain knowledge on how to waste people's time like a professional, contact Koizumi Itsuki from planet 'Idiot'.

Kyon wanted to yell at the annoying Esper, hard and raw, perhaps even wrench his guts out and play softball with it, but the expression on that handsome face stopped him short. He was smiling, yes, his expected façade intact, yet there was something in his eyes that was so out of place that Kyon found himself unable to keep his gaze on anything but Koizumi Itsuki.

With the setting sun washing his face in its orange glow, and the cool air teasing the brown of his hair, as the boy gazed into the distant horizon, Kyon couldn't help but feel that he looked almost...

…Melancholic.

That was the only word blinking in the teen's mind.

As if the tedium of an impending disaster was alighted on top of his shoulders.

Kyon, irritated, disregarded the sharp pain in his chest at the sight of the ever-smiling Esper in the golden light. "So, what am I supposed to do from here on?" He let the words out slowly.

The brunette didn't respond. His pathetic smile wavered a bit before he closed his eyes and tilted his head. "You might be able to, but you wouldn't… No, actually, I don't sense there's anything you _can_ do, Kyon," he replied, voice hollow. "If Suzumiya-san wants something interesting, she will get it in no time. That is the only possible way."

"…I see," Kyon stared in the opposite direction, trying to block out the vague charges and insults thrown at him. "So you have something already planned ahead, huh?"

"You could say that."

Kyon gave a deep sigh, annoyance ebbing at the back of his mind. "She told you what she wants." He accused in a clipped tone.

"Not exactly, but it wouldn't be a surprise if I let it out now, would it?"

"Thanks a lot, then, for warning me in advance this time."

"Of course."

He watched the brunette from the corner of his eyes. The smile was gone, and his eyes stared blankly at nothing, as if his mind was processing some unknown Esper secrets a normal human would've exchanged his life to be a part of. Kyon wasn't really fond of the guy, but it was still unsettling to see him acting so out of character.

But how could he judge when he never really knew what that character _was_?

If only…

The teen almost reached out to brush that one auburn strand from those distant eyes.

"Say, Kyon, do I really infuriate you?"

Kyon blinked. Now where had that come from? He shook his head, mentally slapping at his conscience that had made him stretch out his arm. He put it to the use of relieving an itch at the back of his head instead.

"…Yeah."

"How kind of you to be so candid," the words spilling out of the Esper's mouth would've been taunting if it wasn't for the emptiness of his tone. "I expected it to turn out this way, of course, with all that has been happening around as of lately. Too bad you cannot do anything about it, no?"

"…About Haruhi?"

"Perhaps," the other replied, "…then again, perhaps not."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Koizumi smiled softly.

After a peaceful stretch of silence, the boy straightened himself. Auburn strands of silk blew gently against his forehead, and Kyon had that unexplainable urge to brush them away again.

But it wasn't this thought that made his eyes widen. The brunette's gaze dawned victorious over everything going on in Kyon's mind. The way Koizumi looked at him made something in the pit of the teen's stomach churn and flutter at the same time.

"Ofcourse you don't," Koizumi said, lips twisted into a sad profanity of his usual smiles.

"Koizumi…?"

Hands fell onto either side of the dark-haired boy, pinning him effectively. If Kyon had any urge to complain about the invasion of his personal space, he was too stunned to act upon it.

"And it'd be too late by the time you do, I'm afraid."

With that, the brunette leaned in and captured his lips.

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Author's Note :

… Did Koizumi just kiss him? Yes, yes he did. How far did they go? Well, you'll just have to wait and find out. Wow, Sayloni should be sued for cliff hangers or something… (-_-)/

But it is more enjoyable this way, no?

Atleast for her, it is…

Either way, if you liked it please do review (and even if you didn't, please do), so Sayloni might acquire some pretext to slide in a more explicit kiss somewhere. Why is Koizumi being so dramatic? And what happened with that closed space Haruhi so audaciously created a month ago? Though this was just a prologue, and all the two did was 'Haruhi this' and 'Haruhi that', well, things are not going to make sense for a while, but it'll eventually be wrapped up in the conclusion (as is customary in Haruhi no Yuutsu), so do keep an eye out for subtle hints here and there. Any questions regarding this chapter will be personally answered by Sayloni unless, of course, it is something that is not to be disclosed until very later.

Also suggestions as to what you'd like to see or who could be worked upon more to get rid of the evil OOCness are welcome. Although the story is pretty much set already, she might alter it for some requests.

And if anybody wants to beta it, please do contact Sayloni.

Arigatou.

Now, some preview of the next chapter (Sayloni so wanted to do this!) :

It's crazy. Kyon can't seem to get it out of his mind, the memory of that intimate touch playing again and again like some battered, old tape that you can't get rid of… then why is Koizumi suddenly ignoring him? Or is this his Esperly way of sulking? Seriously, Haruhi in a bunny suit first thing in the morning is never good news… And _delinquent_? Who in the world could be _this_ manic?

…Seems like Kyon underestimated the extreme wheels of his majorly inverted life.

Next time on 'Melancholia' …'Inopportune'.

"_What are you doing, Haruhi?" _

"_Recruiting!"_

"… _In that outfit?"_

"_Of course. It boosts up our image!" _

Once again, R&R, and stay tuned!


	2. Inopportune

Author's Note :

Whoot-whoot! Look who's here?

Wow, Sayloni wonders why there's never any applause. At least be surprised, if nothing else... (~_~)/

But Sayloni _has_ to say, reviews are her Oxygen; without them she might just suffocate and plummet to her demise any moment. So arigatou for keeping her breathing another day (or another month (o_O)/ ). She is indebted to you enormously for such enduring support.

Sayloni's sincere gratitude to Andy-sama and OodleNoodle-san for being the first and foremost reviewers in support of "Melancholia" that had her scrambling for a pen and paper to conspire the subsequent chapter as early as attainable (and believe it or not, she actually updated as soon as the final draft was finished, even if it took over a month to get it done). Your names have been engraved in her golden book. Also, Sawarikitsune-san and kyo neko-sama, who were humble enough to pose questions and tell Sayloni she's a meanie (she had a hunch that was coming). And to all those who have taken the pain to read this fic and/or favorite it, Sayloni has never seen anybody kinder before. Oh, the compassion she has acquired as of lately. Let it remain graceful everyone!

Warning : This fic contains boy x boy, not explicit, but she won't advice people with no taste in this genre, or those who have probably never heard about it to go on reading. And, oh! Characters might appear a tad bit OOC, but she'll definitely try to work on them.

Disclaimer : Sayloni doesn't own Haruhi or her eccentric SOS Brigade, or the series would have turned out even more messed up. All rights go to Tanigawa-Sensei and his amazing illustrator, Noizi Ito-sama, and a bunch of other mind-blowing people for the light novel, manga, anime, music, sound tracks, video games and movie productions. Phew….-_- quite a lot of merchandise, eh?

Now, was anybody on the edge of their seats the last chapter?

So, to refresh your memory, here is a repeat telecast of what happened last time (although it is barely a short summary of the first chapter):

… Monotony?

As Kyon struggles to make heads or tails of why the Esper has appeared at his door after such a calm and _normal_ month, he cannot help but wonder if things with Haruhi are really as apt as Koizumi seems to portray. However, a long talk or two about his 'God' never hurt anybody before.

Only this time, things weren't all that simple.

Previously on "Melancholia"…

_ "So, you mean that Haruhi needs a little change of scenery and routine or she'd do something crazy that'd reach upto the galactic scale?"_

_ "I'm afraid so."_

_ "…Again?"_

_ "In uncomplicated words, yes."_

_ "Couldn't you have used this simpler approach, then?"_

_"…I suppose I could have."_

Okay, so with the past proceedings in mind, kindly read on!

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**_Inopportune_**

If Kyon had even a sliver remain of reason, he would've preferred to ditch school that day.

…But no sir. Sanity had nothing to do with him.

Going to sleep had been a feat enough, but as was the custom in his royally upturned existence, a phone call from Ms-High-and-Mighty at four in the morning had sent him flying out of the fitful slumber and face first across the floor, a mass of tangled sheets and limbs.

It hadn't helped that as soon as he'd demanded what the crazy girl wanted, he'd been rudely cut off with a 'none of your business!' vibe.

He had a vague suspicion that Haruhi had been off tune since their verbal confrontation about how Aliens and Espers could not exist, which was completely untrue considering Nagato, who had taken a fancy sizing him up with unblinking eyes as of lately, but the teen had been so infuriated that he couldn't help except shatter the demented girl's ambition.

And so she had created a closed space.

Though drowning the said caller had seemed like a brilliant idea at that moment, due to lack of fine-timing Kyon had settled on scratching his head and rummaging through his inbox in sleepy annoyance.

…Only to be slapped with twenty missed calls and thirty-nine messages from Koizumi Itsuki.

This had, in turn, dragged the memories of the previous eve out of their virtual prison brusquely. Koizumi, his pained expression, the auburn strands around his face, his hollow voice, and then the feeling of his lips… needless to mention that any chance of a decent night of sleep had gone propelling out the window.

And so, here he was, eyes drooping, head throbbing, the bag flung carelessly across his shoulder as the teen climbed the Godforsaken hill to North High.

It must've been some kind of sick joke on the Architect's part, he thought, to have built it with that useless thing in the way. Kyon wouldn't be surprised if he'd rented an apartment nearby just to laugh at kids laboring about it every day.

It was a miracle how Haruhi ran across it like it was a sand box or something. But then again, she was a miracle in herself, a highly revolting one at that. He remembered the time when she'd almost rolled him down its slope and if it wasn't for that stupid Esper, he'd be -

Kyon groaned. It was one dark, tangled mess that refused to be kicked out.

He told himself that Koizumi was a weird guy, and enjoyed making him uncomfortable and tried all his might to annoy the hell out of the teen. It was a universal truth. Yes, that was it.

Nothing more.

… And still, he felt like walking into the nearest traffic light.

Forget it, he told himself, trying his best to shake off the uneasy feeling. Today was a new day, and who knows, it might just have been a dream caused by that weird tasting curry rice from last night.

At least he prayed it was.

Then _he_ appeared, a handsome figure standing beside the school entrance, and the teen's legs turned to a crude reminiscent of jell-O.

To have ignored the idiotic Esper for this long and have him waiting in front of the school entrance like a stalker the next day, Kyon seriously wished a blue monster would run the guy over.

He cursed. Why hadn't he just picked up the guy's calls and got this over with?

Kyon pushed the jagged fluttering in his stomach aside.

What could he do?

Talking to the said object of his discomfort didn't seem like such an attractive idea. Koizumi had a habit of turning every conversation around to either trap him, or force him to seriously consider pulling out the Esper's hair. Threatening him wouldn't achieve an iota of peace, either.

And hadn't Kyon gone over the same exact thing for nearly a thousand times last night?

It was cruel that he was fretting over it, even now. He'd kissed people before. There had been nothing that nagged him about any of the previous instances. Okay, so may be something was off in Haruhi's case, but that was still normal. He hadn't felt awkward facing her.

But Koizumi…

Was that what made the difference?

Damn.

He was acting like some middle-school girl who'd just had her first kiss stolen by a guy she had trusted the most. But that wasn't right. Kyon wasn't a girl, and Koizumi as hell hadn't been a reliable friend.

The teen's head ached.

Disregard, he decided for the hundredth time. It was final now, though.

Avoid the damned Esper; forget it like a very, very bad nightmare. Get it out of his head as if the kiss never happened. The body had been never pressing into his tensed muscles, the tickling of the auburn strands was an inauspicious myth, and the delicate lips were never on his, warm and insistent and…

But of course, life just loved screwing him.

The Esper's gaze locked with his.

Kyon's first thought was to run. Admittedly, it was also his second one. He didn't care whether it was into the building or back across that stupid bump in the road to spend the rest of his day playing checkers with a sick Shamisen, as long as it got him away from Koizumi Itsuki.

"Good Morning, Kyon," Koizumi gave a beatific smile, avoiding the other's twitching eye quite marvelously. He looked like his usual composed self. "You didn't answer my calls. How irresponsible of you. I understand though, but I can explain what happened -"

"Morning."

Kyon turned away, suddenly annoyed. Here he was, trying his utmost to pretend that yesterday never happened, and then this Esper boy comes skipping to him and breaks that very notion.

"Ah, but you see, I - "

"Don't bother," The teen started walking towards the building, hands jammed into the pockets of his crumpled uniform. "Haruhi will kill me if I'm late for class. Catch you later."

Koizumi's eyes flickered, perhaps with a hint of darkness or just pure hurt. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but the mention of Haruhi held him back. He straightened, and the smiling façade was back in place. "Of course", he said simply.

Though the wary teen expected him to step back, his annoyance only grew as Koizumi trailed behind him, frame tall and his face beaming, like an overenthusiastic puppy out on a walk with its master. He wanted to snap at the boy, or may be trip him and cackle as his gorgeous jaw cracked against the floor, but decided on stomping the corridor to that crazy little space he called his Homeroom instead.

It wasn't until he reached his destination that Koizumi flashed him a slight smile and walked ahead without another glance. Kyon watched his retreating back disappear. Perhaps he should've felt relieved, yet somehow it just added to his annoyance.

The moment he stepped into the classroom, however, everything blew out of his mind.

"What _are_ you doing, Haruhi?"

"Recruiting!"

"… In _that_ outfit?"

The eccentric girl looked down at herself, as if prancing around in a bunny girl costume first thing in the morning was the most natural thing after brushing one's teeth. Kyon wondered vaguely if she'd be called into the Principal's office again if the news got out. May be he should've been concerned when she woke him up with that freakish phone call.

"Of course. It boosts up our image!" She scoffed and put her hands on a pair of scantily clad hips. "Why, you got a problem with that?" She let out a strangled laugh, nose in air.

Kyon shook his head and pointed at the twitching PE teacher.

It was sometime later after they had managed to force the girl into a uniform that they took their seats and Okabe-san cleared his throat, demanding their attention.

"Aw, these people have no imagination…" Haruhi muttered, slinking into her desk.

"I'd say you have more than needed of it, then."

She turned away, a hand waving at the teen dismissively. Her eyebrows were knit into an intricate pattern. Kyon wasn't sure what was so enchanting about the window that she kept staring at its frames. It was clear, though, that the crazy wheels in her head were spinning again.

So he really shouldn't have been surprised when he was yanked backwards the very next moment. The collar tightened around his neck, almost choking him. He let out a muffled gasp.

The bag slipped out of his hands with a jerk, falling into a heap at his flailing feet.

Kyon seriously wanted to shove her out of that window.

He pulled himself free, a bit thankful to not have crashed against the desk. That would've been a lot more painful. The teen rubbed his neck, reaching for the bag as he shot his assailant an irritated look. "What's your problem?"

"Delinquent," she muttered, brows furrowed, eyes still glued to the window.

"Huh?"

"…with spiky hair, bitter attitude," and suddenly her eyes brightened. She stood up, tipping the desk onto Kyon in a swift, abrupt motion that was nothing short of deliberate. She fist pumped the air. "Yes, Brilliant! I want _him_ in the Brigade!"

And ignoring a gaping Okabe-san and the entire class staring at them, the desk poking his back, Kyon's face connected with the table in a monstrous batter.

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"Still hurting?" Taniguchi scoffed through his bento, half-chewed food particles flying every which way. His chopsticks waved at the other boy teasingly. "That's what you get for ditching us and hanging out with Suzumiya and her whack jobs!"

Kyon pushed him away with a sour look. "That's disgusting."

The raven-head laughed, chopsticks reaching for Kunikida's lunch box and the shorter boy smacked his hand away, eyes closed as he concentrated on his own piece of rice ball.

"Where did she go, anyways?" Kunikida asked, ignoring the boy's shouts at being denied extra food.

Kyon shrugged and continued sucking at his straw noisily.

It was as much a mystery to him as the other two. As soon as homeroom had ended, Haruhi had bounded out of the class at top speed never to be seen again. Three periods and she still wasn't back. She'd grown to be uncharacteristically quiet these last few days, too. And though it should've made Kyon pleased to have nobody poking a ball pen on the back of his head for a change, he felt wary in the comfy of peace.

…a calm before the storm, as they said.

His spine, however, still ached, and he rubbed at the small of his back absently.

Taniguchi had returned to his usual antics again, eyeing the shorter boy's food even as he was slapped away irritably. He wasn't really that much different from Haruhi, Kyon thought. Both of them did pretty questionable things, though what set them apart was the fact that Taniguchi's were far more _un_bizarre in comparison.

A gigantic yawn escaped him, and his lips tingled. He brought a finger to them, unconsciously tracing it over their length, aware of a vague tapping on his shoulder as he remembered how in sync they had seemed against the Espe-

"What?" He demanded in a clipped tone.

Kunikida seemed taken aback, retracting his arm back to his rice ball. He gave the boy an odd look, then averted his gaze to the eatable. "You're getting weirder by the day," he commented off-handedly, taking a small bite. "She was calling you."

"Who was?"

Kyon turned his head towards the other boy. The raven-head stuck out a thumb, pointing at the dark-haired girl behind his back, "Her."

"You have a visitor, Kyon-kun," she said.

It was only when she stepped aside to unravel the presence of the very Esper he had been trying to overlook that, darkly, Kyon scowled. He wished he could just slide the door shut in the guy's face. But Koizumi appeared unperturbed, as usual, and waved from the door, seemingly ignorant of the dozen female eyes on his elegant form. He was smiling amiably.

Kyon crushed the juice box between his fingers involuntarily. Although it was not directed at her, the girl cringed under his scrutinized gaze.

"… K-Kyon-kun?"

"Hey Kyon, get up," Taniguchi shot the boy at the door a disapproving look, no doubt irritated by how much female attention he snatched away with just a solo visit, "Your buddy's waiting." Then his eyes fixed onto Kunikida's hand that held up a rice ball. "And hence Taniguchi wins!" he dived, smirking, and gobbled it up in one single dino-sized bite.

"He-hey!"

"Kyon-kun?" The girl creased her eyebrows, "Somebody's here asking for you…"

" Alright, I'm coming. Thanks."

He sighed, pulling himself to his feet. And just on an unexplainable impulse, Kyon tossed the crumpled box into Taniguchi's stuffed and smirking face.

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"Delinquent," The teen said as soon as the brunette came into hearing range.

"…Excuse me?"

Koizumi was blinking, lips frozen mid-sentence; almost as if he couldn't believe Kyon had just cut him off on what the teen assumed was his heartfelt, little apology.

It was almost comical how his frame had gone rigid for a moment. Perhaps he'd got the message to shut up, or maybe he just found it hurtful. You could never tell with Koizumi Itsuki.

Kyon hoped it was the latter, though.

"This morning, Haruhi said she wanted a delinquent in the Brigade."

The Esper took a deep breath, his arms across his uniform sheltered chest. The goldfish expression melted into another angelic smile. "Ah, so Suzumiya-san finally caught up to my hints. That explains the 'emergency' she's been talking about rather… accurately. Fourteen hours - an impressive record for her." He curled a finger to his chin. "I should expect nothing less."

Kyon stared at him, failing to mask his horror. "…_You_ gave her this idea?"

"Should I not have?"

Kyon was wondering what would go better with the Esper's smile; a crooked nose or a black eye. He failed to understand how or why Koizumi had convinced her of such a thing. What exactly was it that he was thinking, influencing Haruhi to hunt for a young criminal? Wasn't he supposed to be protecting her? She was his God, right? In fact, encouraging her for something like this should've been nothing short of a taboo for Itsuki Koizumi.

"Koizumi, I'm seriously considering hurting you now."

"Is that so? How cold," Koizumi flicked his bangs dramatically. "But I haven't come here with an intention of being assaulted by you, Kyon. After all, Suzumiya-san will not be pleased to find her subordinates quarreling amongst themselves," His voice reverted to a business-like tone, " She is currently holding an emergency meeting, and I've been sent to get you," He turned on his heels and bowed gracefully. "This way, if you would, please."

Kyon didn't know why it happened, but the Esper had abruptly cut off his usual outrageous comments. He could feel it. His attempt at the meager teasing had seemed half-hearted as well.

Was the situation with Haruhi something that serious?

The teen let his eyes wander into the other's direction. Two months ago, he'd caused Haruhi to create a closed space, and although Koizumi had no intention of blaming him, rather he'd been smiling like it'd been a piece of cake for the 'Agency'; the bandages the Esper had flaunted around were somewhat of a giveaway.

What if something like that had happened again?

"…Hey, are you sure everything's… alright?"

Koizumi put on a wretched smile, straightened and without sparing him another glance, strode ahead.

The boy was surprised… or maybe he was shocked.

To be acknowledged so little, especially by that one Esper, was a first in itself. It was like Koizumi was putting up a front to wave at passer-bys, shouting 'I have no connection to this guy whatsoever!' repeatedly.

Was this how Koizumi Itsuki sulked?

For some unknown reason, Kyon felt nauseous.

"…Kyon, Suzumiya-san is going to be upset if we're ill-timed."

The teen jerked his head to meet the Esper's smiling gaze. Koizumi was looking over his shoulder at him, his long bangs falling into his eyes. His lips quivered the slightest bit. The pleasantness on his face was forced, he could see, to the point of becoming superficial altogether.

It was almost as if he had deliberately said that last sentence to remind Kyon of his own heartless dismissal during their last encounter.

And may be he didn't want to admit it, but the feeling settling in Kyon's gut was a poignant reminiscence of guilt.

"I'm right behind you," he murmured and started walking.

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Kyon hadn't known what to expect.

That was, partly, because the annoying Esper had resorted to silence and he himself hadn't dared to demand any explanation. The other reason was the said boy's uniform covered back, tensed up as he walked ahead of the other, forcing Kyon's eyes to trace and analyze its every movement minutely.

Kyon was thankful that its hypnotic stirring at least kept him from digging into worse matters at hand.

So when the door was opened to reveal a smug-looking Haruhi, the teen didn't know whether to feel relieved or to notch up his worry-meter to a higher level.

She sat at her table, self-content, and her arms across her chest, with a smirk that would fool one into believing she'd just invented the train engine. A digital camera, which the teen suspected had been 'obtained' by unscrupulous methods, _again_, rested beside her 'Brigade Chief' plate. God knew what she'd used it for. The hue from the illuminated screen washed her face into a blue tinge. Judging by the way she stared at it, whatever was on there must have been nothing short of an exclusive footage of the Abominable Snowman.

Kyon had the sudden thought to retrace his steps back to class at top speed.

"We've arrived, Suzumiya-san," The Esper charmed a beatific smile and took a seat, soiling his escape so that the boy wasn't sure if he felt irritated due to his plan being hindered or the sudden cheeriness the other was portraying.

Haruhi looked up abruptly, her eyes catching the sight of his wary form at once.

"Kyon! Where the heck were you lazing around?" She shot up, her dark orbs ablaze. She pointed an accusing finger at the boy. "It's because of you that Koizumi-kun had to compromise his recess and take the pain to go and fetch you! He's not your personal chauffeur or butler or whatever!"

Pot calling kettle black, Haruhi, the teen wanted to spurt in response. If she'd cared to drop by the classroom once in a while, then her poor 'Yes-man' wouldn't need to pay those visits in the first place.

But he held back. "Asahina-san isn't here either," he pointed out instead.

The tense silence that followed was only ruffled by the whirring of the computer system.

Kyon looked around, curious as to why the Esper was smiling at him, even though he had a finger against his lips in what seemed like a glaring 'shut-up' stance. The bibliophile at the window, too, who blended into the clubroom's scenery like a convenient piece of furniture with her hardcover book, had her gaze fixed on his awkwardly standing figure.

Haruhi's roaring eyes locked onto his own perplexed ones.

And Kyon was suddenly alarmed.

He wasn't sure why just mentioning _her_ would inspire such responses from the other two nutcases, but if Haruhi was bored, and he pushed it too far, she could mastermind _some_ stuck-up stuff. And he didn't really appreciate the thought of performing an Adam-Eve play, as the Esper had put it once, with that intimidating girl if the world just happened to end.

If a conversation about paranormal beings not existing could tick her off to such an extreme, it was only imaginable what Suzumiya Haruhi could do at an instance like this.

The teen vaguely wondered just what stupidity he'd put up now, bracing himself to have the earth exploding into a million little particles of dirt when Haruhi suddenly huffed and flopped down into her seat. She waved a dismissive hand, as if shooing away a dog.

"Who cares if she's here or not? Mikuru-chan is a mascot, Kyon. It doesn't _matter_ if she's not contributing into important stuff! Club meetings can be held without her, too!" She then pointed to the camera, "Besides, I've already used her to get _this_. Her job's done!"

Kyon's eye twitched involuntarily. Something bubbled in the pit of his stomach. Who was skipping around hand in hand with Asahina-san yesterday as if she were a long lost sister? Should he be sighing in relief to have safeguarded the world from the eccentric girl's wrath? Or should he be frowning at the disregard shown for his Angel? Wait a second. Haruhi _was_ selfish; he had come to terms with that a long time ago. Should he be reacting at all, then?

An inaudible sigh escaped his lips.

The tension in the air dissipated instantaneously. Koizumi broke out into a smile, digging into his lunch the very next instant. Nagato shifted her eyes back to the book at hand; shutting herself away again like nobody in her immediate vicinity existed. Was that relief in their nonchalance? The boy stared at the tranquility the two displayed. Couldn't they show some sort of detailed reaction that resembled a decent human for once?

Kyon feared his jaw would unhinge and drop to the floor any moment.

He put a hand to his head. "She'd be horrified to hear that, y'know?"

"Should I care?" Haruhi glared at the monitor screen.

"…I guess."

"Who the hell asked for your opinion?"

"…"

Never mind, Kyon thought, growing over the girl's unreasonable behavior. He didn't approve of such conceit, especially after two long years of bringing the Suzumiya Express back on track, and had half a mind to tip the computer into her arrogant face, but he was far too tired to have this same old charades played up again. There were a lot of things plaguing his mind without the helping hand of Suzumiya Haruhi already.

Instead, he dragged himself into the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. As Kyon slinked into the chair across the table from the other male, Koizumi's smile wavered. It looked like he was about to say something but caught himself at the last moment and went back to his half-eaten sandwich.

So he'd probably got the hint to shut up.

The teen's fists clenched. Disregard…wasn't that what he had decided upon? Koizumi who adopted silence should alleviate his irritation, right? It was going well then, and he should be relieved. Yes, he should be doing a mental little jig, even.

So why wasn't he?

Kyon sighed, shaking his head. Let's not dwell into things that could swindle him even further, he thought, turning away to watch the crazy girl type furiously instead. The keyboard looked about ready to crumble beneath her fingers.

"So, what exactly is this emergency of yours?" He inquired, clearing his head, and then lowered his voice, "I hope we aren't going to be arguing about whether or not Aliens and Espers exist again…"

"What's that mouth of yours spouting, huh? That's just deranged!" Came the scoff of a self-proclaimed Brigade Chief, "Everyone here knows they exist, so why waste time on stupid discussions when we need to be thinking up of ways to find them? You're so useless, Kyon!"

"…but haven't we done that enough times already?" Kyon muttered, but inwardly found himself relieved.

"Without results!" She sulked, not really paying attention, "We need more members, otherwise we won't be able to cover a bigger radius. So when something does happen, we will be able to capture it first hand…"

Kyon was bowled over. "And you think that'll help?"

Haruhi didn't answer, apparently preoccupied with the computer system. Her nostrils flared, and her small mouth was still molded into an extraordinarily face-splitting grin. Either she was ignoring him, or she was too excited about whatever the reason was for her calling such an urgent meeting to pay him any attention.

They said he was important, yet Kyon couldn't bring himself to believe it when people always pushed him around like a futile side character.

"…Haruhi?" He sighed, "What emergency is it that we're talking about here?"

She still didn't answer. Kyon watched her expressions change from egotism to confusion, finally settling on a frown. Her eyes narrowed towards the door for a second before going back to the flashing screen.

"Hey-"

"You're so annoying. Shut up!" The girl didn't look up, just scrunched up her face further. Her prettiness was washed down the drain on a daily basis due to this. She banged a fist on the table. The computer shuddered with the impact and the camera almost toppled over its edge. "Damn it! Why's this stupid computer not showing it? What's the time?" She demanded, glancing in the boys' direction.

Koizumi held up his wrist to display a glinting watch. "Exactly nineteen minutes before the end of break," he smiled at the fuming Chief, and Kyon couldn't help feeling that tad bit of irritation.

"Already a minute late!" Haruhi yelled as if what she heard was unacceptable.

Sighing, the dark-haired boy rested his cheek in one hand. "This 'emergency' is just another way of wasting our time, right?" He muttered under his breath. It was surprising that Koizumi didn't turn to smile at him and convert the monologue into a full blown conversation like his standard self.

Then again, he hadn't really been his standard self the past few days.

"I heard that!" Haruhi responded instead, frowning."This is objectionable! Waa! What the heck's taking so long! Waiting is absolutely boring!" She flailed around in her chair so violently that the teen feared she'd crack the floor with her skull.

"Will you quit it, already?" Kyon bit out, irritation finally getting the best of him, "You're going to knock Nagato over if you keep at that!"

The bibliophile looked up at the mention of her name, resting her eyes first on Kyon's hyperventilating form, then tracing them back and forth between him and the other girl.

An awkward silence drifted in. Haruhi seemed taken aback, but just as abruptly her face distorted into an unpleased glower. She sprinted out of her seat, making the table jerk violently so that the camera finally crashed to the floor. "Are you ordering your brigade Chief?" She yelled.

"I'm just asking you to be quiet. Is it that much of a deal?"

"Shut up! I'll do whatever I want!"

Kyon's composure snapped. "That's what I'm talking about!" He was shouting without even meaning to.

"How dare you talk to me like that?"

By now Kyon had shot out of his seat and was plodding towards the eccentric girl. Haruhi was glaring right back at him. He wasn't sure why he was so frustrated, but his mind kept encouraging him to wring her white neck, world's safety be damned.

That was when the annoying Esper stuck out his foot and tripped him.

Kyon crashed face first, landing just a step short from the girl's irate frame, his body a haphazard arrangement of limbs. His nose barely avoided connecting with the floor, thanks to his elbows, but the impact was still excruciating. Jolts of pain shot up his body.

All went still for a second.

"What now?" Haruhi finally put her hands on her hips, smirking. "Are you begging for mercy so I don't behead you in the track and field grounds? Is that it?"

From his awkward sprawl, he caught Koizumi's twinkling smile.

The teen pulled himself up, huffing. He put a hand to his forehead, resisting the urge to strangle the brunette. It was deliberate, there was no doubt. Yeah, Kyon thought, kick _him_ down to put _their_ God into a better mood. He understood, of course, but sometimes the guy's devotion towards Haruhi was far too disturbing to be intelligible.

"Alright, then beg and grovel before me!"

Actually, it wasn't intelligible at all.

Kyon hadn't paid attention as to when the guy had moved, but suddenly the ever-smiling Esper was in front of him, a hand extended in his direction. His sleeve shifted to give the grimacing teen a view of that scar again. "Need help?" he asked.

Kyon couldn't help but feel that nothing about the gesture looked the least bit remorseful.

"No, thank you," He muttered, swatting the hand away. He picked himself up and rubbed his elbows, shuffling towards the exit. "I'm going back. Have the emergency meet without m–"

The door jerked open before Kyon could lay a finger on it and smashed against his nose head-on.

He staggered backwards, hands automatically reaching for the throbbing appendage, startled, "What the-?"

Tears stung his eyes. It felt like the angle of his nose had been twisted around dramatically. Kyon shook his head from side to side, narrowly missing one of the table's chairs and stumbled into a pair of strong arms instead.

The teen blinked through blurry eyes at the flimsy image of the Esper, not sure whether to thank him or push him away in the midst of all this soreness.

His mind was muddled and his body ached.

Kyon wished he had listened to his reason and skipped school altogether.

" … I don't really get what you're trying to do."

It took a few moments for the teen to realize that it wasn't Koizumi or Haruhi or Nagato who'd spoken, and it certainly didn't sound like Asahina-san had returned to help him keep his sanity. The strangely flat voice was new to Kyon's ears.

Kyon snapped his head towards the door, forcibly clearing his vision to convert the wavering blotch standing there into a humanoid.

The first thing he noticed was the piercing, gleaming silver etched onto his left ear, barely visible among the mass of tangled, golden hair.

… then the piercing brown eyes.

_'Delinquent.'_

The arms around his semi-conscious frame suddenly seemed to go rigid, almost as if scalded by that sharp gaze.

_'…with spiky hair, bitter attitude.' _

The teen was vaguely aware of someone bouncing and chirping animatedly behind him. His own body seemed to have forgotten all the pain for a moment. Haruhi ran past him, and Kyon couldn't help the twitching of his eye as realization hit him like an over-speeding truck.

_'Yes, brilliant! I want _him_ in the Brigade!'_

"Please tell me _this_ isn't our emergency, Haruhi," he murmured, not caring for the answer.

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Author's Note :

...So, any ideas what this emergency was?

Sayloni wasn't sure how things would proceed after that blunder Koizumi pulled up in the last chapter, in fact she was screaming her guts out at the guy for doing it since she couldn't make heads or tails of where the story would go from here on (but then she remembered he was only doing what Sayloni had told him to, so, yeah). She hopes she justified their characters in this chapter enough to not earn a wave of insults or over-aged tomatoes. (~_~)/ If she did, please provide the criticism needed for correcting the horrendous gaffe on her part.

So now Koizumi is acting all melancholic and annoying and wreaking havoc on Kyon's mentality while Haruhi is plaguing his peaceful existence yet again. That's no new news though, is it? But strangely enough, Nagato seems to be in no hurry of rescuing him. Asahina-san, well, Sayloni's not really sure what she's doing as of now. And poor Shamisen is sick.

Sayloni supposes things are still pretty unclear, but they should start making sense in the next two chapters or so, so please bear with her and watch out for the insignificant of details. All good things come to those who wait and observe.

And there's a request she wants to put forth. Sayloni is searching for more Itsukyon quality fics to develop her writing further. Recommendations are welcome.

Also, she has decided she no longer wishes for a beta-reader, so please do not waste any of your precious time in messaging her.

On a completely random note, how many of the dear readers have read the manga called "1001 Nights"? If you haven't, do check it out ASAP. It has nothing to do with this fic, mind you, but just something Sayloni wanted to share (and no, she's not the author's best friend or secretly the author himself in disguise, trying to promote his franchise (~_~)/ ). She enjoyed it thoroughly.

Now, a preview of the next chapter:

Haruhi was insane; Kyon didn't need to be a genius to figure that out. But bringing a delinquent into the brigade? That too by blackmailing him? Haruhi must be a down-right gone case to even think of that. And new discovery; Koizumi was such a brat. Uh, just why wasn't anyone else seeing the sense in not following Haruhi blindly, anyway?

Next time on "Melancholia"…

Momentum

_ "…What do you want?" _

_"Subordinate number 5!"_

_"You're off your rocker…"_

_"Well, I have a few more here if you'd like to-"_

_"Alright, I get it! I'll join you stupid loose-screws, but… but make sure those don't get out, you hear?"_

Once again, RR and don't forget to visit the next instalment.


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